Jun 15, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) runs out a single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Why the Mets need to call Francisco Alvarez back up

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI
By Allison Girardi | Last updated Jul 19, 2025 5:00 PM ET

It has been nearly a month since the New York Mets sent down catcher Francisco Alvarez to Triple-A Syracuse.

Alvarez was demoted for having struggled immensely early on this season. He was having a hard time both behind the plate and at the plate, and the stats certainly prove it; the 23-year-old was hitting only .236/.319/.333 with a .652 OPS and just three home runs.

These numbers were totally unlike Alvarez and looked like it shook his confidence. It was pretty obvious just by watching that he was in a bad spot and needed to shake off the rust to get back to his usual self both offensively and defensively.

The Mets have been able to hold down the fort back in Queens, but it is time to get the number one catcher back in his righful position. Without Alvarez, Luis Torrens has been the go-to guy, with Hayden Senger playing backup.

Torrens has been able to contribute, especially defensively, but the Mets are not receiving enough offense from him. In his last seven games, Torrens has been slashing just .190/.227/.238. It is much of the same story with Senger, who has only eight hits in his time up with New York this season.

With a race for first place in the NL East on the line, Alvarez needs to be back in the lineup. The young catcher has proven himself down in Syracuse, hitting nine homers with an .891 OPS.

Francisco Alvarez crushes his ninth home run with Triple-A Syracuse! pic.twitter.com/fL7XvMLspU
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) July 18, 2025

Manager Carlos Mendoza has also said that its only a matter of time before Alvarez returns to the big leagues.

"He's doing everything we're asking him to do," Mendoza said to the media before Saturday's game. "The big thing for us is that he continues to improve."

Carlos Mendoza says Francisco Alvarez could rejoin the Mets "at any moment":

"He's doing everything we're asking him to do" pic.twitter.com/SyTJU1zWwJ
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 19, 2025

Based on how well Alvarez has hit against Triple-A pitching, as well as his past success in the big leagues (particularly in his rookie season), it's clear that he's ready to come back to the majors. It's also obvious that the catching tandem of Torrens and Senger doesn't offer too much upside, and that adding Alvarez to the mix will be a tremendous upgrade for the Mets.

This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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